Dan Savage Educates Your Children?

April 5, 2011 at 3:33 pm

Renowned sex columnist Dan Savage, who is an openly gay man, will be taking his popular sex and relationship advice column to MTV in a show appropriately called "Savage U" where he intends to educate your college student about the importance of honesty over just about anything else, including fidelity.

He is of course the author of the "It Gets Better" campaign, which I liked as being (unlike most responses) apparently clearly targeted to the problem of gay teen suicides, and not using them for some other purposes.

There was a thoughtful analysis of his sexual ethics in the Washington Monthly recently, for folks who want to get a taste of what he writes.

The essay, by a Lutheran Minister, ends by pointing out where Savage ethics lead. A young man, in love with his girlfriend, with whom he has had a rather open and satisfying sexual relationship, but is tempted by more "sexual variety" asks how he can ask for that without ruining his relationship, which he values.

Savage, who for all his experience, does not know what women are like, advises him to tell her openly and honestly what he wants, because otherwise the young man will just cheat on her.

The Lutheran minister, wiser in the ways of men and women, suggests that this young man is going to get pretty lonely looking for another woman able to give him all this young woman does--and who doesn't mind his playing around on the side.

The possibility of taming one's sexual desire for the sake of another, or of a vow, is not in the Savage moral imagination. Libido will have out, and honesty about that is the best policy.

He brings, in other words, the best of gay sexual ethics and experience to a straight audience, with potentially disastrous results.